1. Whistleblowers The Dark Side Presented by Sue Kralik September 22, 2015

2. Outline of this presentation What is a whistleblower? What are the common consequences of being a whistleblower? Why do organizations see whistleblowers as a threat? Why do it? Is it worth it? Could you be a whistleblower?

3. Whistleblowers: Broken Lives and Organizational Power Dr. Fred Alford relates whistleblowers accounts gained by: attending a support group for whistleblowers for a year attending a retreat for stressed-out whistleblowers interviewing about two dozen whistleblowers visiting whistleblowers websites/talking to them & meeting some advertising interest on popular website reading accounts on websites.

4. Whistleblowers: Opposing Viewpoints Edited by Noah Berlatsky Provides opposing viewpoints on key whistleblowing experiences For example, Ch. 1 includes articles under the title ‘What Motivates Whistleblowers?’

5. A Whistleblower Is………. one who 1)acts to prevent harm to others, not him or herself 2)trying first to rectify the situation within the framework provided by the organization 3)while possessing evidence that would convince a reasonable person.

6. The harm may be…………. physical, such as the illegal disposal of toxic waste financial, such as the waste or misuse of taxpayers’ money legal, the breaking of laws

7. Theory vs. Practice In theory, anyone who speaks out in the name of the public good within the organization is a whistleblower. In practice, the whistleblower is defined by the retaliation he or she receives.

9. What are the consequences of being a whistleblower?

10. 1.You Can Lose your job.

11. Some statistics According to several studies somewhere between half to two-thirds of whistleblowers lose their jobs

12. Some studies reveal that………. Seniority and rank offer little protection. On the contrary, many organizations seem most threatened by what they view as defection within the senior ranks and are hence more willing to make an example of the defector.

13. Whistleblowers rarely get their jobs back. Most never work in the field again. In some tight-knit fields there is an informal blacklist. One whistleblower was fired from her new job when she sued a previous employer for wrongful dismissal.

14. 2. You can lose your home and your family.

15. 3. Most will suffer from depression, various illnesses and alcoholism. 4. Half will go bankrupt.

16. ●Whistleblower reports problem to the boss ●A short time later, he/she is relocated in an isolated, much smaller office ●Can be transferred to a position for which he/she is not qualified ●A series of bad efficiency reports follows ●A psychological assessment is conducted ●Dismissal Steps to firing

17. This is a story of isolation. The story of Molly and Tom Higgins

18. They hold the power of pre- emptive strikes! Why Wrongdoers often successfully survive

19. ●The whistleblower is perceived as a threat even if the report is internal. ●He/she is perceived as an individual, one who thinks for him/herself. Why Whistleblowers are seen as a threat to the organization

20. Why do it?

21. Is it Worth It?

22. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t blow the whistle for a million dollars. It ruined my life. My neighbour kept talking about all these stories he’d read about “the little man who stood up against the big corporation and won.’ Well, I stood up against the big corporation and I lost……….” John Brown’s assessment

23. 1984

24. 1984 and the Whistleblower Before his arrest, Winston Smith’s job was to alter the historical record to make it appear that dissidents had never been born. In a democratic society, the sacrificed individual remains.

26. Questions for Discussion 1.Fred Alford writes: “For the whistleblower to be loyal to his/her story, he or she would have to know and accept some terrible truths about the world, above all that his sacrifice will not be redeemed. No one will be saved by his suffering, not even himself. The organization he worked for will not be made better, and those who worked with him will not have become more moral by virtue of his example.” Is this a fair comment? 2.Could you be a whistleblower? If yes, under what circumstances? If no, what would stop you?